Sonic and the Dark Desperado
by Metal1784
Summary: After falling asleep over reading a Western thriller, Sonic suddenly finds himself in Gusty Gulch, trying to save the town from a greedy railway baron. Will Sonic be able to take on bandits, broncos, and the Big Boss? Or will the town be overrun by outlaws? AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello! This is a collab between ShinyShiny9 and Metal1784. We both wanted to write a Western AU fic, so we came together to make this. The two of us wrote the plot, and we're taking it in turns to write and edit chapters. This chapter was written by the amazing Shiny with a few edits by Metal. (Go check Shiny's stories out. She's awesome.) The amazing cover was also drawn by Shiny. We hope you'll enjoy this!

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><p>It was a brisk, autumn-tinted evening on Mobius, just cool enough to edge out of refreshing and into mildly uncomfortable. People everywhere were wearing (or growing) thicker coats, farmers were harvesting the last of their crops, and the daylight was getting that golden autumn slant as the days grew shorter and nippier. It was weather for hot cider and popcorn balls and curling up by a crackling fireplace with a good book, and the last of those is just what Sonic was doing.<p>

It had been a long couple of days; Eggman had been particularly troublesome, and his latest scheme had only been thoroughly foiled this morning. Sonic, just a little ragged, had stopped by Tails' place to relax for a while. Casually picking up a book, he got tangled up in the intriguing Western tale, chuckling over the old-fashioned dialect. After finding that Tails had not yet read that volume, he began to read it aloud to him, just like in the old days when his brother was just a little kit. Tails, welcoming the nostalgia, sat on the living room rug and tinkered with some miniscule invention while he listened.

Now, however, the fatigue of combat and the bellyful of victory chili dogs were starting to catch up to Sonic. His tongue started to stumble over the words more and more often, his voice grew more and more sonorous, and finally his head started to nod slightly over the book. Tails, smiling, kept quiet and let his older brother rest.

Undisturbed by the soft hiss of the fireplace, Sonic dozed for maybe fifteen or twenty minutes. Then he abruptly jerked into consciousness, dropping the book with a rattle of quills. Something had startled him awake; for a moment he thought the fire must have crackled, but then he registered a different sound. A voice that was familiar, yet which he dimly realized shouldn't be here right now.

"Amy?" He rubbed one eye groggily. "What are you doing here? And what are you . . . " He sat up, blinking. "What are you _wearing?_"

He was pretty sure that was not Amy's standard outfit. It was still a cough-drop-red dress, to be sure, but it reached to the floor in four overlapping layers of ruffled fabric. The neckline was low, leaving her shoulders bare and curving gracefully into a pair of nonsensically puffy short sleeves, all bedecked with extra lace and ruffles. Most disconcerting of all, instead of a Piko-Piko hammer over her shoulder she was carrying a parasol, trimmed in cherry-red and white. And more lace. Of course.

Sonic was so busy trying to make sense of this bizarre new outfit that it took him a few seconds to register the anxious, almost panicked look on Amy's face. When he did, however, he immediately lost his gobsmacked expression in favor of a grim frown of determination.

"What's wrong, Amy? Is Eggman not finished after all?" he asked, swinging his feet off the sofa and onto the floor.

"Not finished? He's barely even started!" cried Amy, and without warning clasped Sonic's hands in eager desperation. Sonic vaguely noticed that her gloves were daintier than usual, lightly lavender-scented and trimmed with—preserve us all—more lace.

"Oh, thank _goodness_ I found you, Sheriff! Come quickly, please! Hurry!"

"Wh . . . wha? Did you say _sheriff_?"

"We need you, Sheriff Sonic! Big Boss Eggman might be coming any minute!"

"Big Boss? . . . " Sonic stared blankly as Amy tugged insistently at his hands. Presently though, he realized the direction she was pulling him in, and a look of understanding crossed his face.

"Ohhhh, wait a minute. Did you come from that book?" he asked, nodding at the Western thriller that had fallen open on the floor.

"Well of course I did!" said Amy, as if he'd just asked the obvious. "We need you in there, Sheriff! You will help us, won't you?"

Sonic nodded, a grin spreading across his face. He'd done this before, visiting the days of King Arthur and the Arabian Nights, and it had been an awesome adventure either time. Besides, he never turned away a call for help.

"Lead the way!" he called, and followed an eager Amy through the glowing, sand-brown and sky blue portal blossoming over the living room floor.

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><p>Oof!<p>

Not his best-ever landing.

Sonic was used to falling out of the sky and landing on his feet, or his head, but this time there was interference. The warp into the book had sent him falling back into a chair, and before he could register that fact, the chair had flipped backwards, sending him to the floor in a flurry of legs and quills. Groaning, he untangled himself and sat upright.

The first thing he realized was that he was in a dim, slightly musty room, lit by a single small window. Dust motes danced in the golden shaft of light streaming through, and the air had a sort of warm, wooden, sandy smell. There were a few other chairs besides the one he'd overturned, a barrel or two, and a desk.

Also, he realized, he was wearing a belt. It was a sturdy leather contraption, tough but light, with a strange sort of pocket-thing to the right. Also, a golden sheriff's star glinted on his chest, pinned there by methods he didn't choose to think about too deeply. Still studying this new attire, Sonic reached up to scratch his head, and his fingers made contact with the suede-like surface of a handsome cowboy hat.

Wow. Kinda nifty.

"Are you all right, Sheriff?" asked a concerned voice by his ear. Sonic jumped, realizing that Amy had warped along with him. Somehow she seemed to have managed a much more graceful landing; Sonic reddened, scrambling to his feet hastily.

"I'm fine," he said, dusting himself off and scrabbling to remember the cowboy dialect he'd just been reading out of . . . this very book, actually. "So, what can I do ya for, little lady?"

The odd look Amy gave him said that he either wasn't supposed to talk like that after all, or that he was seriously botching the dialect.

"You have to help us stand up to Big Boss Eggman," she said, wringing her hands. "That crazy old railway baron wants to buy the entire town of Gusty Gulch, and he's got the money to do it, too. He says he wants to run a railroad right through here!"

"No problem!" said Sonic, swinging a fist confidently. "Lead me to his railroad robots, and I'll pulverize 'em!"

Amy gave him a confused look.

" . . . Robots? . . . "

Sonic backpedalled, realizing that the Wild West probably didn't have such things.

"Well—uhh—I mean, what do you need me to smash?" he asked, wondering if Eggman was going to be coming for him with steam-powered Egg Pawns.

"Nothing needs smashing," said Amy, looking at him as if he were thoroughly insane by now. "You need to convince him to renegotiate the contract!"

Sonic's face fell at once.

"Contract?"

"Yes! He kept pestering the last sheriff to sign a contract giving the whole town to Eggman. But now that you're here, you'll just tell him to hightail it out of here, right?"

"Uhh," stammered Sonic, gulping. This had gone very rapidly downhill._ Contracts? _He didn't know the first thing about legalese! Give him a legion of robots and he'd throw himself into their midst grinning from ear to ear, but he didn't have the first clue about negotiating paperwork.

But looking at Amy's hopeful smile, he couldn't turn her down. A whole town needed saving! Besides, how bad could it be? It seemed pretty straightforward: just flat-out refuse to sign. Heck, even _he_ could do that.

"Right," he said at last, pulling down his cowboy hat with a rough-and-ready smile. "Don't worry, Miss. I'll set that Eggman running so you won't be able to see him for the dust."

"Ohh, thank goodness!" squealed Amy, clutching her parasol ecstatically. "Oh, all our troubles are over! I knew you'd be a good sheriff!"

"I'll do what I can, Miss," grinned Sonic, although he was still hearing an uneasy voice piping in the back of his head. "Uhhh . . . say, if you don't mind me askin', what happened to the last sheriff?"

"Ohh, him." Amy made a rather unladylike dismissive sound. "Sheriff Silver was a nice guy, but he couldn't handle pressure. Boss Eggman dropped a couple of hints that he'd send desperados to chase us out by force if we didn't sign, and Sheriff Silver was a terrible shot. Finally quit under the strain." She flashed Sonic an optimistic smile. "I bet you're a great shot, right Sheriff?"

Sonic mumbled something automatically, his heart dropping out from behind the gold sheriff's star. _Guns?_ He'd forgotten about that part! Sure, he'd somewhat reluctantly taken up a sword while trapped in the story of King Arthur, but a gun was something else altogether; he had a mortal aversion to those things. With a sword you could at least throw your will behind each blow, but firearms spat cold, indifferent death at a twitch of a finger, making it effortless. Now that he was stuck in the Wild West, was he going to have to use a _gun?_

Swallowing, he surreptitiously opened the flap on the odd little pocket on his belt, feeling inside. His hand met cool metal.

Dangit.

"Are you all right, Sheriff?" asked Amy, tilting her head. "Ooh! Are you planning how to deal with those desperados?"

"Uhh . . . uhm, yeah," stammered Sonic. "I, uh . . . need to do a lot of planning. And I, uh, plan best on my feet . . . " He started to head for the door, feeling the urge to get out and take a good brisk run to sort out his thoughts. Amy tailed him, a little puzzled but still optimistic.

"Don't go too far, Sheriff! We'll let you know if Boss Eggman shows up early."

"Thanks, I—" As Sonic stepped outdoors into the warm, dusty sunlight, he suddenly froze. Then, yanking Amy behind himself, he dropped into a protective stance, feet spread wide, fists at the ready.

"Stay back, Amy!" he warned, glaring down the row of Motobugs that stood menacingly at the edge of the porch. "I'll take care of these!"

"Take care of what?" demanded Amy, peering over his shoulder. "Who, Sheriff? Where?!"

"Wha—" Sonic cast her a disbelieving glance over his shoulder. "Right _there_!" He jabbed a finger at the Motobugs.

Amy slowly looked from him to the Motobugs, then back to him, confusion written all over her face.

"The horses?" she ventured at last.

Sonic stood mute.

"They're very sweet-natured once they get used to you. This one's yours, Sheriff," continued Amy, stepping around him and approaching the nearest Motobug. Sonic reflexively reached out a hand to stop her, but didn't complete the motion; he watched in disbelief as the Motobugs stood completely calm and docile, letting Amy rub their heads. One of them whinnied.

"Everyone thinks I'll never be able to ride," sighed Amy, casting Sonic a reproachful glance. "Don't you think a lady can handle a horse, Sheriff?"

"I'm, uh, sure you could," mumbled Sonic, still somewhat dazed. First the contracts, then the guns, now this. If he was going to be expected to whir about on a Motobug instead of using his own two feet, there were gonna be issues.

Amy, however, seemed satisfied with the answer. She waved coquettishly as Sonic blurted a goodbye, tightened his cowboy hat, and took off in a cloud of dust.

"He's a little eccentric," she murmured to the nearest Motobug, who nickered and nuzzled her cheek. "But I think he'll be a splendid sheriff!"

Meanwhile, Sonic tore circles around the outskirts of town, biting his lip in thought. He still wanted to help the townsfolk, that was for sure, and he figured he could handle the contract if it just meant saying _no_. But what if Eggman tried to negotiate? What if he did send in the desperados? Sonic would_ fail,_ and the townsfolk would be doomed. What if Sonic wasn't the right hedgehog for the job after all?

Still deep in thought, Sonic almost missed the tin can flying across his path. At the last second he noticed it and swerved out of the way, his shoes skidding in the sandy soil. Turning, he caught sight of a familiar figure.

"Tai—!" he began, then remembered that he wasn't supposed to know anyone's name here yet. Still, seeing that his little bro had wound up in this adventure along with him was heartening. Approaching quietly, he felt his eyes grow wide. Tails was using a gun! A line of tin cans was perched on a nearby fence, and the little fox, a chocolate-colored cowboy hat perched on his head, was squinting at them down the barrel of a rifle. Handled like a pro, too. Sonic stared, dumbstruck.

Then Tails pulled the trigger, and Sonic almost laughed with relief. Instead of a sharp retort and the whiz of bullet splitting air, there was only the soft metallic _plunk _of a tin can being hit by a stream of water. It was only a squirt gun! It sure looked real, though, and Tails seemed to be treating it like a real one . . .

Eyes widening in sudden realization, Sonic fumbled his holster open and pulled his own gun out gingerly. He felt his skin crawling a little at the touch, but he pushed that aside and shook the weapon carefully. There was a distinct sloshing sound. Almost convinced, he aimed it at a cactus flower, set his teeth, and pulled the trigger.

Yup. Squirt gun. Well, this was a development! Sonic wasn't big on getting wet by any means, but it sure beat running around spewing bullets like some kind of heavy-metal motorcycle hog.

Meanwhile, Tails finished his round of target practice and turned around to reload. He caught sight of Sonic and immediately hustled over.

"Are you the new sheriff? Welcome to Gusty Gulch!"

"Howdy!" Sonic extended a hand. "Name's Sonic. What's yours?"

"I'm Tails. You might hear some folks 'round here call me Li'l Tails, but that's just force of habit. Went out of fashion years ago," said Tails, drawing himself up a little taller. Sonic fought back a smile.

"Got it. You know, you seem to be a pretty good shot there, partner."

"You think so?" Tails beamed. "I've been practicing every day for months! I'm ready for anythin'." He glanced up at Sonic hopefully. "Say . . . Ya think you'll be needing any deputies, Sheriff?"

Sonic opened his mouth to say "sure!", but stopped. He'd already seen that the Amy of this world acted pretty different from the usual Amy; she was a little more ladylike, didn't crush his ribs, and seemed to lack that self-defense edge that the Piko-Piko hammer gave her. The "real" Tails back at home was a capable and self-reliant battle partner, but for all Sonic knew this Tails could be radically different. Better to check out his skills a little before signing him up for a possibly dangerous deputy job . . .

Sonic was still working out how to word this reply tactfully (and Tails' face was already falling slightly as he foresaw an imminent refusal) when a sudden shriek echoed from the distance.

"Somethin's happening back in town!" cried Tails, whirling. Sonic was already tearing in that direction; Tails stared after him, amazed at his speed.

"Wow . . . " he whispered, and hastened to catch up.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Welcome back to Sonic and the Dark Desperado! We both thank you for coming to read chapter two. We would also like to thank Ghostkid33 for their review! Now, this chapter was written by Metal with edits by Shiny. Once again, we hope you enjoy, and best wishes to you all. **  
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><p>Sonic ran with gritted teeth, fists clenched and a deep glare set on his face.<p>

If trouble was coming to this town, it would have to go through him first!

Ignoring the faint yells of Tails in the dust far behind, the sheriff promptly skidded to a halt, spinning in a circle in the rising dirt before raising his fists to his chest. His knuckles brushed against his golden, star-shaped badge with the stance he took, prompting him to glance down at it to see how it was attached, but his attention was quickly brought back to the situation by another high-pitched squeal.

"Alright, bad guys! Party's over!" Sonic called out, baring his teeth in a show of feigned belligerence.

No response.

The growingly bewildered hedgehog looked around, only seeing the painted wooden buildings, and Mobian townsfolk staring at him in confusion. Right. Of course. There was nothing to smash in this universe, just contracts and strange robot steeds. So, that begged just one little question.

What weird stuff could this place possibly throw at him now?

With his curiosity proliferating, Sonic squinted against the blaring sun and scratched the side of his head with one hand, placing the other on his hip. Tails soon caught up, quickly standing at the sheriff's side with an expression of concern.

"Well, what is it, Sheriff Sonic?" Tails glanced up at Sonic for a moment, tipping his chocolate-brown hat over his eyes to shield them from the light.

"Is that..?"

Confused, the fox followed Sonic's line of sight, finally resting his gaze on the corral.

Either he was beginning to suffer from heatstroke, or Amy was sitting on the back of a Motobug, with her arms wrapped around its helm in an attempt to hang on for dear life. Dust had risen all around the enclosure from the Motobug's valiant efforts to buck the hysterical hedgehog off of its back, but the girl's strength was surprisingly overwhelming, despite her dainty appearance.

Tails sighed and wiped his brow, eyes half-lidded. "Oh, it's just Amy. That's a relief."

Garnering no response from the dumbfounded hedgehog, Tails decided to elaborate as he began to walk towards the corral. His footsteps were rather slow and urbane - Sonic could only guess that Amy normally got into this sort of difficulty. Curiosity not yet sated, Sonic followed behind his big-shot alternate brother.

"She's always tryin' to prove that she can ride like the boys can. Other week, a big group 'a rustlers came along – saw the big show she was makin' of tryin' to break one of those horses and tried their luck. Nothin' I couldn't handle, of course!" Tails explained, proudly waving his twin caudas behind him.

The sheriff smirked. Those sure were some big words coming out of that kid. Perhaps he would prove himself as a reliable deputy, if he could also prove those words. Unbeknown to Sonic, the heedless young fox had already made a decision. He was gonna prove himself. He had to. There was no way that Sonic could pick a different deputy. Sheriff Silver had turned him down, telling him 'it's no use' whenever the fox brought up the topic of the Big Boss' contract offer.

"A little help here, gentlemen?" Came Amy's wavering plea, prompting the duo to hasten their approach.

Tails was quick to take the lead, breaking into a run with a confident grin across his face. "I got this one, Sheriff Sonic!" he called, not even looking back to see Sonic's reaction. The young fox held the brim of his chocolate hat as he carelessly vaulted over the fence, landing on his feet with a light thud. Dust rose in a circle around the point of impact.

Amy lifted her head to look at the sheriff, an expression of unease and fright written all over her. She had expected Sonic to come to her rescue, but instead the hot-headed kid had jumped in. Confusion and worry quickly knotted her already shaken stomach, and she shook her head at him in a silent plea for him to leave.

"Tails, wait!" Came Sonic's cry, but the aspiring deputy was already in action. Tails boldly walked up to the startled steed, but his advance was only seen as a threat to the unbroken 'bot.

The reckless approach sent the Motobug into a frenzy, and the robotic creature reared back on its wheel mechanism with a metallic, warbling neigh. Despite looking harmless, this 'horse' was poised to send its challengers right to the horsepital. And unbeknown to Sonic, this particular Motobug was a candidate for many nightmares. Undeterred, Tails stood in a fighting stance - a huge no-no for approaching animals! As soon as the Motobug charged at him, he side-stepped and grabbed Amy, pulling her down onto the dusty ground. She landed with an audible 'oof!' and a squeak before clambering to her feet in shock.

Sonic gasped out of fear for the fox, running right up to the fence and stopping himself from knocking it down with his hands. "Tails! Get outta there!"

Tails glanced over his shoulder with a cocky smirk. "I can take 'im. He ain't gonna buck me off."

The sheriff opened his mouth to protest, but before he could even speak, Tails had leapt up onto the Motobug's back. Did he even have experience with those things? Amy answered the silent question with her expression of horror, as she ran over to Sonic and grabbed his hands with a sob.

"Quit foalin' around! I'm stayin' whether you like it or not!" Tails barked at the bugged-out 'bot, holding on tight as it reared up and down, moving back and forth and bouncing on its wheel in a valiant effort to throw its rider off. The show continued for minutes, with no sign of relenting. "Now you're beginnin' to stirrup my patience, nag!"

Something clearly snapped from the taunting, and the Motobug gave one powerful buck - throwing its rider off in a red blur.

With a dull thud, the kit hit the ground - and didn't get up.

Sonic's blood ran cold. Without thinking, he sprang over the fencing and hurried to Tails' side. "Tails! Lil' buddy? Wake up, it's me, Sonic!" Within his desperation, he saw the fox as his sidekick little brother back in his own universe, and treated him as such. Tails' forehead was slowly bruising. Amy's tears ran freely as Sonic lifted the unconscious Tails into his arms, holding him against his chest as he watched the kid's face for any sign of movement. "C'mon Tails... You gotta wake up. Don't do this." The blue hero's eyes too became lined with tears of fear and sorrow, and his ears slowly flattened with sadness as the seconds passed by.

Townsfolk gathered while Amy and Sonic left the corral. The culprit Motobug angrily wheeled around behind them, irritably chirruping, but all eyes were on the sheriff and his injured partner. Mobians in the crowd murmured about the situation to one another, nobody knowing what to do. For once in his life, Sonic was powerless. No Chaos Emeralds were here to rouse Tails, no rings in sight to collect, nothing.

But, there was hope! And he came in the form of a red echidna.

He appeared unexpectedly on the street, dreadlocks swinging. With a confident striding pace, he approached the crowd and cleared his throat. "Stan' aside. I need to see 'em," he announced, poking the brim of his brown, blue and yellow hat up to show his face. In one fist, he held a gently glowing green gem. Say that three times fast.

One certain hedgehog recognised the voice, save for the heavy accent over it. He lifted his head and watched as the echidna walked through the multitude of Mobians, who promptly stepped aside to allow him to pass. Sonic felt his fluttering heartbeat relax at the sight. Back in his home universe, Knuckles was the guardian of the powerful Master Emerald. Perhaps he had some mystical mumbo-jumbo rocks to save Tails?

It just so turned out that Sonic was rather good at interpreting alternate universes by now, and was indeed correct. Knuckles stopped in front of Sonic and held his hand open, revealing the gem, with a strange energy softly whirling around its pointed structure. His expression was sincere, his appearance slightly ragged.

"Howdy, new sheriff. Since you're new in town, I'll introduce ma'self. The name's Knuckles, because 'a my knuckles."

Well. Yes. Sonic, despite his deep concern for his injured brother, gave him a look of yes, care to go on..?

Whilst the emerald did its magic, the mist lightly showering the fox, Knuckles went on to explain some more. "This is an emerald from the mines. I protect 'em day an' night, now that my tribe has dispersed. The hullaballoo with the Big Boss caused a big stir with 'em... None of 'em dared to speak up, since they knew saying the wrong things an' shootin' their mouths off would get 'em all black eyes." Knuckles paused for a moment, meeting Sonic's troubled gaze. "Big Boss said he could hustle up a whole group'a bandits to force these people out of their homes. He wants that railway real bad, to reach our caves an' take our emeralds for himself."

He glanced back to the glowing gem, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of the townsfolk's hopeful eyes all watching him. Being the last of his kind in the land, he was rather elusive, save for the bright red dreads and namesake knuckles. Mobians far and wide had considered him to be a bunko artist, a con man, in the past - but his power over a certain range of gems bought him respect. And, being the final echidna in the mines, his responsibilities sometimes felt like the weight of a world.

Meanwhile, Sonic listened in silence. This town was in far more trouble than it had first seemed.

But a contract dispute? He would of course refuse to sign, and then the desperados would come, and, and...

... And well, these alternate universe problems were never straightforward. Heck, he had to fight knight versions of his friends once. Contracts and legislation weren't exactly in his interests before, but now, he would have to buckle up and try something other than smashing bots. The smashing would come later, and he was good at smashing things! The bewildered hedgehog was jolted back to reality (or alternate reality) at the sound of a familiar fox groaning quietly. Ears perked high, Sonic looked down in alarm to see Tails stirring.

"Are you alright? You went as pale as that snow they talk about up north!" Knuckles exclaimed, tilting his head to one side curiously.

Ignoring the words of the observant healer, Sonic instead opted to grin like an idiot at Tails as he woke up. The assembly of Mobians 'awwed' at the sight of the sleepy-looking fox smiling up at the hedgehog. As it quickly seemed that the situation was under control, the Mobians soon began to disperse, leaving the four friends to a little privacy.

"Tails, lil' buddy... I'm so glad you're okay. Don't ever do that again, you hear?" Sonic was quick to give the young hothead a telling off, but not too harshly. Behind them, Amy smiled adoringly, coming closer to gently ruffle Tails' head fur. The poor kid protested with a whine and a shake of his head, but otherwise tolerated the attention.

Knuckles smiled and closed his fist around the emerald, neutralising its power. "Job done. You can thank me later." Just as mysteriously as he had appeared, the lone tribe member turned and walked away towards his red steed parked by the saloon at the end of town.

He heard Sonic call out to him, something about staying in town, but he simply looked over his shoulder, smirked, tipped his hat, and continued on his way.

Sonic watched him leave, a serious expression taking him. He knew one thing for sure after all this - that he cared for the people of this town and would save them, and the emerald mine, from this greedy corporate baron.

By any means necessary.


End file.
